Reader Support
Having a problem with our recommended software or expert tips? Email editor@computeractive.co.uk and we’ll do our best to help
Was your USB capacity advice wrong?
Q
I was interested to read your advice to Murray Sinclair about why he was unable to copy a small file to his USB stick (Problems Solved, Issue 612). In fact, I think the error-message screenshot reveals a different solution. It says: “There is not enough space on USB2. You need an additional 63.9MB to copy these files”. The files Murray is trying to copy are 63.9MB bigger in total than the available 3.06GB of free space. I think he inadvertently misled you by stating that he was trying to copy a 63.9MB file. What do you think? Paul Hickman
A
We think you spotted a tiny detail that we missed! And yes, this happened precisely because we focused on what Murray said in his question, rather than on the error message. That was our mistake, and we’re happy to publish your helpful insight.
Why can’t I run System Diagnostics? Q
Following your suggestion in Issue 612’s Cover Feature, ‘Make Windows 10 Last Longer’, I tried running System Diagnostics, but both laptops I tried it on displayed an error message saying the Data Collector Set or one of its dependencies was already in use. I’d be interested to know if there is a way of getting it to work.
A
It’s not easy to pinpoint the exact cause, because that error message doesn’t give us many clues, but security software is often near the top of the list of culprits. In particular, any live-scanning elements of your antivirus program could be responsible. If you use the same security software on both laptops, that would add weight to our hunch.
While we wouldn’t advise disabling your security software just to run this tool, you could check the settings and temporarily disable any non-essential elements to see if that works. AVG, for example, lets you switch off selected features for just a few minutes, which should be more than enough to try System Diagnostics again.
What’s this Virtualbox error? Q
After reading your Cover Feature on Windows 11 tools (Issue 610, page 55), I thought I’d try creating a virtual PC. Despite following your advice to the letter, I can’t get it to run. All I see is an error message, but I don’t know what it means. Can you help? Rod Turner
A
Yes, the error message is telling you that the AMD-V technology your computer needs to run virtual PCS is not enabled in the BIOS.
Without knowing your PC’S make and model, we can’t tell you precisely how to remedy this. However, accessing the BIOS usually involves pressing a key soon after the PC is switched on – typically F2 or Delete (Del). Look for a message along these lines, then press the relevant key.
Once you’re in the BIOS, use the cursor (arrow) keys and Enter to navigate the pages. Look for an option called ‘AMD Secure Virtual Machine’ (or similar). Again, use the cursor keys to navigate to this, then press Enter to change it from Disabled to Enabled (see screenshot above left). Finally, press F10 or Escape (Esc) to exit the BIOS, being sure to select Yes to save your changes.
Why does my battery report instantly disappear? Q
I’m an avid Computeractive reader, so I enjoyed Issue 612’s ‘Make Windows 10 Last Longer’ Cover Feature. However, when I tried to check my Windows 10 laptop’s battery capacity by typing the command you published, the response flashed on and off the screen quicker than a blink of the eye! Is there any way to make it stay on the screen so that I can actually read it? Len Jones
A
We’re pretty sure you accidentally typed the powercfg /batteryreport command into the Windows 10 Start menu or Taskbar search box, rather than into a Command Prompt window – which is what we actually advised. Doing this would result in exactly the effect you describe.
We explained how to open a Command Prompt window in the preceding section, but as this part related to hard drives, you may not have read it. So, to recap, click Start then type cmd and press Enter. Next, in the Command Prompt window, type powercfg /batteryreport (see screenshot above) and press Enter – and that should be that.